patriotism could not be doubted. Had he not fought battles by their
side, of which his scars bore living testimony? and now they wished to
stigmatise him as a traitor to his country! The sultan must decide it.
How could jungle-folk like them know anything of the English and their
intentions?

The sultan listened silently during this discourse, which, though
written in a few lines, took many hours of hot debating, by their
turning and turning every little particular over and over again; and
finally decided it in his usual curt and conclusive manner, by saying,
"The Warsingali were on the most friendly and amicable relations with
the English; and as he was desirous of maintaining it, he would give
me leave to travel anywhere I liked within his dominions, and to see
and examine anything I chose. But out of fear for the consequences, as
the English would hold him answerable should any disasters befall me,
he could not sanction my crossing over his frontier in any direction,
and more especially into the Dulbahanta country, where wars were
raging, and the country so unsafe that even Warsingali dare not
venture there." This announcement was brought back in high exultation
by Sumunter, who thought his success complete, and at the same time
announced to me the sultan's intention of honouring me with a visit in
the evening, which was duly done.

He came a little before sunset, with his bare head shaven, a dirty
coloured tobe thrown over his shoulders, and hanging loosely down to
his sandaled feet.[13] He looked for all the world like a patriarch of
the olden times, and passed me, marching in martial order in the
centre of a double line of men sloping their spears in bristling array
over their shoulders, all keeping step in slow marching order, a scene
evidently got up in imitation of our soldiers. Not a word was spoken,